Any insight to a storage solution for my 3rd gen?

[volkinator]

Hey everyone. I've looked through the storage solution thread and y'all have amazing ideas! I've come up with something that I think will work really well, and I'm interested in your feedback as well as sourcing some parts.

Here's a general concept of the initial stage. (no cover because I'm not familiar with sketchup really. still working through it.




My theory is the green and yellow are drawers that would slide into the cavity under the cover (3/4" plywood that would be the sleeping platform as well) within the yellow drawer on the bottom is what I'm planning on using as a slide-out for a table. I'd like to get lock-in/lock-out slides so I can use it as a work surface for cooking. this way I can still use the drawer with the slide out table pulled out.

the 'back' would sit flush behind the rear seats when they're set up. provide cubby's for storage as well. Probably my air compressor and some other recovery gear, etc...

What do you guys all think? Any suggestions? And anybody have a good suggestion on where to get slides that lock in/out and maybe even halfway as well?!

 

[rayra]

pretty much just what I posted sketches of here several weeks ago. I think it will work nicely.

I keep pushing off the build trying to finish household projects.


Slides will be spendy and take room. I think it's possible to design such a system to not use slides at all. There are various materials and laminates that would readily allow sliding drawers with zero lost of space and far cheaper than heavy duty drawer slides. I've discussed the design ideas related to that in a few other topics. Chiefly that the back of the drawer be almost the height of the interior such that a drawer can extend about 75-80% and cantilever as the top of the rear is against the underside of the top deck.

As for drawer stopping where you want it, there are lots of catches, pins, notches that could be used to achieve the effect you want, again without expensive hardware.

 

[volkinator]

Definitely like your ideas here! I wasn't planning on slides for the large drawers for sure. Way too much $$$, and I guess there are a lot of catches for them. I like the cantilevered setup too. Big fan of K.I.S.S. Maybe even rig up an 'auto-catch' to prevent the drawers from pulling too far out. I also like the idea of not using the slides, so when I have to pull it all out, I can remove the drawers independently, and keep the individual weight down.

 

[rayra]

Look on YouTube for the works of a master builder / carpenter named Ron Paulk. Particularly his 'mobile workshop trailer' build. In it he does some fantastic work building a fully featured workshop using little more than plywood and smart design. Particularly in his drawer details. He uses little more than a couple rabbets, some routed notches and some round-head screws as stops, to make a drawer that stays closed and stops where you want it. 30-some sliding drawers and just as many more storage compartments in his design and almost zero hardware. His designs could readily be adapted to a big storage drawer for the back of an SUV.
I'm putting paddle latches on my drawer fronts, latching into the top deck. Using laminated or melamine-coated spacers / runners under the drawers at the outer bottom edges, with the space between them holding the slide-out tables.
I'm also fitting a similar 'table top' panel on top of my tool drawer, resting on the drawer sides and hinged in the middle. Using notches in the top of that drawer's sides, that top panel will be hinged in the middle and be able to stand like an easel, in those notches, to use as a map board, sign board, radio freq chart etc. Multiple uses for HAM radio, CERT, off-road club brief, whatever.
Unclear in my scribbled sketch, the left-most narrow compartment is a semi-permanent battery / power conversion module, sized to remain in place when my 3rd row seats are installed. 115V Inverter, 12V power ports, 5V USB ports, Andersen powerpole connections, LED voltmeters, possibly a solar charge controller too (considering a panel mount integrated in the roof rack of my Suburban.
The remaining 40" of width will be split into two near-identical drawers. The left one the tools, roadside emergency, recovery stuff. The other with prep stuff and firearms for range trips. These two drawers will fill to just behind the 2nd row. ~58" IIRC. And have sloping open fronts much like your posted graphic. The power section would have all the ports on both ends, readily accessible both while on the road and with the vehicle set up as a mobile base / campsite.
My idea is to only have a total height of 10". Lower if I can get away with it. 3/8" bottom deck, 3/8" drawer bottoms, 1/2" top deck, with only a 20" span should be sturdy enough. I think I need an 8" drawer depth, for some of the things I want to fit. The power module batteries might be non-automotive in design. Intend to stuff a 2nd auto battery under the hood. Might not have battaries in the back module at all. Have to see what kind of room is left when all the rest of that crap is stuffed in there.

I've only recently been getting up to speed with SketchUp, but swamped with a bunch of household projects to complete before the holidays. I hope to have some digital designs by the end of the year. Nice thing about SketchUp is that a lot of things have been modeled already and are readily imported to any designs.

 

[volkinator]

Wow! Thank you so much for the Ron Paulk reference! I'll definitely be using that to my advantage. Especially just learning sketch-up! Love the idea of minimalism and simplicity. Already getting ideas for this!

For electronics, I really am not sure what I want to do for that on my runner. I like the idea of keeping all that separate and under the hood for some reason the idea of a battery in the back makes me nervous. And I don't have a lot of room as it is. so putting all that back there would be a bit of a challenge. I'm trying to keep my setup as low as possible as well, and am also thinking 8" drawers would be good. I like head room when I sleep, I've done the top bunk up against the ceiling before and and with my Fiance as well, it'll be nice to have some headroom. I'm also trying to decide sleeping situation; do I commit to a full size mattress pad and have space to sleep, or use a twin, and have more storage along a side... lots to think about.

Seriously though, thanks for the ideas! Wish I had as much room to work with as you do! My brother in law has a tahoe and they love it. Was just a little bigger than what I wanted, and cost too.

 

[ramonortiz55]

I am looking to install some drawers in my 3rd gen 4runner. I am working with a cabinet guy here in town:

500# slides
birch wood
full extension slides

ill post pictures when complete